Magpies

Recently we have been woken in the early hours of the morning by very loud noises like someone throwing stones at the windows. After a couple of nights of this, we managed to catch sight of the culprit, a huge magpie banging on the window with his beak. We think he was attracted by bright shiny photo frame on the windowsill. Obviously I have moved this now, but the banging is still happening every couple of nights. There are still some items (books etc.) on sill but nothing shiny. Anyone heard of this happening before? More importantly, any suggestions to stop it?

put something scary like a toy cat on the window ledge.

It may be pecking at its own reflection?

interesting, a masochistic magpie if only there were more of them and that they'd fly into airplane engines, they're a bloody scourge and should be culled.

We had a previous thread on magpies and in one of my clean ups on ezBoard I got rid of same - silly old me as usual!

I don't want to steal your thread but I had thought recently about posting in LOS about these bas..... (excuse my unladylike language)

We have two bird tables and have a robin, doves, pigeons, jackdaws, rooks and greenfinches appearing in the garden on a daily basis. The magpies have now decided that this is their territory and even though they do not bother with the seed, bread or water they insist on driving all the other birds away.

One of the magpies attacked a dove recently in the garden and left it in a dreadful state. We had to contact the local DSPCA who referred us to the local vet who looked after it.

We constantly have to keep an eye on the garden/birds to protect them from th magpies. Just wondering besides constantly scaring off the magpies is there any way to put a stop to their 'my territory' attitude?

Have a look around to see where they are nestng. If they're nesting in your garden, that would make them more territorial. Try getting a large powerful water pistol and spraying them any time you see them in your garden. If life becomes too unpleasant for them, they may move. You want something that will allow you to target them specifically.

Hi Seagull,

Thanks for that. They appear to have their nest at the far side of the main road to the back of the house so they should not necessarily have any worries in that respect.

I don't often threaten violence especially to animals but I have come to the conclusion that I hate these guys.

Magpies are terrible birds! My daughter was attacked recently by one. The bird tried to bite her arm but luckily she got to the house on time. They are absolutely vicious birds. I once saw a group of them take on a cat but I dont know the result. Something needs to be done about them!!!

Blarney

Agree with those who feel a need to drive magpies as far away from suburban gardens as possible. This year there is a family of magpies nesting in the old trees at the back of my property and they have terrorised the smaller birds and - I suspect - had a few of the chicks. They are extremely nasty birds. thanks for the tip about the water-pistol. I don't want to kill or damage them; they have as much right as every other living thing - but I would like them to leave. My tactic through this spring and summer has been whenever they appear I fly out the back door flapping towels and screaming. Also does wonders for my image in the neighbourhood.